Direction indicator for motor vehicles



Sept. 30., 1930. w. FqwlLLlAMs DIRECTION INDICATOR FOR MOTOR VEHICLES Patented Sept. 30, 1930 AUNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WILLIAM FERRIOR WILLIAMS, OF MOUNT LAWLEY, AUSTRALIA DIRECTION INDICATOR FOR MOTOR VEHICLES Application led July 29, 1929, Serial No. 381,900, and in Australia April 17, v1929.

This invention relates to an improved dito that which is operated by the Bowden wire rection indicator for motor vehicles. 19. Many suggestions have been made in re- There is in connection with the operation gard to direction indicators for motor veof each indicating arm or arrow a chain 24 5 hicles. lt is considered that they have either surrounding a sprocket 25. The said 55 been incomplete as far as the necessary funcsprocket is placed' in operative communications are concerned, or else too complicated tion with the corresponding indicating ar in operation. row. To each end of the chain 24, whether The present invention relates to a direcback or front, is connected the end of the l tion indicator which permits all the neces- Corresponding Bowden wire. `When, theresary signals to be given although the appafore, one Bowden wire is operated, the eect ratus is comparatively simple in construcis that the sprocket and therefore the arrow tion. is turned in one direction, Whilst when the The invention resides in certain combinaother Bowden wire is operated, the reverse l tion of parts as deiined in the claiming effect is obtained. Adjacent to the rear of 65 clauses at the end hereof. the indicating arrow is a contact 26 bearing The invention will readily be understood against the spindle 27 insulated and connectby reference to the accompanying drawings, ed to an electric lamp in the interior of the in which arrow, which it is capable of illuminating Figure l is a perspective view thereof in when lit. To each of the contacts 26 is con- 70 which parts of the motor vehicle non-essennected a lead 28 that is .connected to two leads, tial to the operation of the appara-tus have one, 29, passing to a switch operated by the been omitted for the sake of clearness. fOOt brake, and the other, 3l, passing to a p u Fig, 2 is a side Sectional elevation of the cont-act 32 insulated and supported adjacent 2D various parts operating an indicating arrow, to the lower end of the operating lever 11. "75 and The said contact has left and right upstand- Fig, 3 is a, from. elevation 0f the Sprocket ing extensions 33 and 34.1 Connected to but operating to turn an arrow and its appurteinsulated from the lever 11 is a conducting nant parts. extension having a downward extension Referring to the drawings, 10 indicates the tlf-t', When lll? Opfiltllg lGVGl l1 1S HOVQd S0 steering column, 11 the signal control lever, eltlle" l0 lll? Tlgllll 0l t0 lll? left lelllls 1D and 12 a Stationary plate to which the Said such extension contacting with the right or 19e-e1- iS pivgted towards its lower @nd at 13 left-hand npward extension 3470i' 33 of the Gonne/Cted t() he lever are fightand left. COHRC) Stllp Y'There 1S it lead fIOlD llQ hand inclined extensions 14 and 15 each of Contact member 35 t0 the llglltlng SWll'Cll 37a which is connected to the ends of twoBowden 'S0 thallll@ lead 35 ls only llVe when the llgllts wires subsequently referred to. The Bowden are 0nwire 16 is connected so as to operate a front The apparatusunctlons ,as follows' indicating arrow 17 supported from the body Consular day'tlme Opelatlon' l/Vhen dmv" by means ofabracket18. The other Bowden mg 1S .Commencecl the liemtmg layer .l1 w Wire 19 is Connected SO as to Operate the will be in the vertical position shown in Fig.

ear ndmtn ,www 90 Connected to the 1. On being about to turn to the right, the I' g l driver moves such lever over towards the body by means of a bracket 2.1' On the right. This has the eifect of eXertinga pull i5 other side, the Bowden wire 22 is connected on the Bowden Wires 22 and 23 and C01.l.e 93 so as to operate the front indicating arrow Spondingly releasing the Bowden Wires 16 in a direction opposite to that which is oper and 19 13V re'ason gf the mmmgr that these ated by the Bowden Wlle 16, WllllS the BSW* wires are connected to the chain 24 operatden wire 23 is connected so as to operate the ing the sprocket 25 on. both the front and rear indicating arrow in a direction opposite the rear indicating arrows, the effect is that it* each arrow is turned towards the direction Bowden wire will be relaxed causing said When indicating arm to follow the dispacement desired, that is, towards the right.

the turn has been completed, the driver reof said lever.

places the operating lever 11 to Ithe vertical position. When about to turn to the left, the operation is similar, except that oppo site Bowden Vwires are pulled and relaxed, and thdtlle arrows are obviouslv tumaed'in the opposite direction.

When driving at night-time, the lighting switch 37 make the wire 36 live, with the result that on turning to the right or to the left, not only are the arrows turned in such direction, but as contacts are made against the upstanding contacts 34 and 33,V the re` salt is thatv each arrow is illuminated on such action. In addition, when the foot brake is'applied, whether in the .daytimeor at night-time, the lead 29 connected to the foot brake switch becomes live, with the result that the.. arrow will be illuminated when it is in au uprightposition and will therefore funetion to indicate anintention to stop.

I'cla-im:

L A directionindicator comprising amovahheindicatng arm, a sprocket rigid with saidanm., a. length of chain engaging said sprocket, a Bowden wire connected at one end to one ofthe extremities of said chain, another -Bowden wire connected at one end tothe other extremity of saidchain, and an operable pivoted lever having a pair of angular extensions each disposed on opposite sides thereof, oneof said extensions engaging thefree end of one; of said` Bowden wires andthe other extension. engaging the free endY of the-remaining Bowden wire whereby with movement of the lever one Bowden wire will be pulled Whilefthe other will be relaxed, causing said indicator arm to move in unison with the lever.

2.V A direction indicator comprising a substantially vertical support, a movable indicating arm4 normally paralleling said supand having'a vright angularly disposed shaft mounted transverselv of the support for rotation therein, a sprocket rigid with said arm shaft and arranged coaxially therewith, a length of chain engaged over said sprocket and havingk its endportions depending to the right and left of said indicating arm, a first Bowden wire connected at one end to that end portionof the chain depending tothe right of the indicating arm, a second Bowden wire connected at one end to that-end portion of the chain depending to the let of the'indicating arm, and a manuaallyv displaceable lever normallv disposed in a `vertical posi-tion and provided with an angular extension upon its right side in connection with said lirst Bowden wire and with a similar extension upon its left side in connection with said second Bowden wire, whereby` with movement ofV the lever, one Bowden `Wirey will be pulled `while the other Dated this 20th da)T of June, 1929.

WILLIAM FERRIOR WILLIAMS.

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